Type 2 diabetes is associated with impaired insulin action and secretion, including disturbed pulsatile release. Impaired pulsatility has been related to impaired insulin action, thus providing a possible link between release and action of insulin. Furthermore, progressive loss of beta-cell mass has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible link between loss of beta-cell mass and impaired pulsatile insulin secretion with special focus on glucose responsiveness of insulin secretion.

The kinetic and dynamic profiles of insulin in Göttingen minipigs are favourable for studies on pulsatility and a model of diabetes with reduced beta-cell mass has recently been established. Pigs were studied before (n=14) and after (n=10) reduction of beta-cell mass by nicotinamide (67 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (125 mg/kg) from 17.7±4.7 (normal animals,n=5) to 6.1±2.0 mg/kg. Pulsatile insulin secretion was examined during basal (n=8 normal, n=6 beta-cell reduced) and glucose entrained (n=6 normal, n=4 beta-cell reduced) conditions. Insulin concentration time series were analysed by autocorrelation and spectral analyses for periodicities and regularity, and by deconvolution for pulse frequency, mass and amplitude.

Reduction of beta-cell mass and secondary hyperglycaemia resulted in correspondingly (r=0.7421, p=0.0275) reduced pulse mass (42% of normal during basal and 31% during entrained conditions) with normal periodicity (6.6±2.2 vs 5.8±2.4 min, p=0.50), regularity and entrainability of insulin secretion.

Neither beta-cell loss, nor 2 weeks of slight hyperglycaemia, as seen in the beta-cell-reduced minipig, probably accounts for the disturbed insulin pulsatility observed in human Type 2 diabetes.